Iain Murray, co-ordinator for north-east-based suicide and self-harm prevention programme Choose Life Prevent Suicide, said: “We are acutely aware that each and every suicide is a tragedy that has a devastating impact on family members, friends, work colleagues and indeed entire communities.

“Our aim is to prevent suicides by reducing stigma and breaking down barriers to people accessing the help and support they need.

“We do this by campaigning and sign-posting people, through our website and Prevent Suicide app, to the help that is available in their local area.

“More than 36,000 people have used the app since its launch, which really shows the need out there for this type of help in the north-east of Scotland.

“The most often used element of the app is the safety plan, which is designed to help people understand when they need help, how to cope and how to reach out to get thathelp.

“The festive period can be both the best and worst of times and can be a real struggle for some.

“Maybe we can all help each other by being a little bit kind to ourselves and each other.

“A simple ‘are you ok?’ and a kind word or two can make all the difference.”

The Scottish Government will outline how to implement its suicide prevention action plan this month.